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I have penned a few articles which will likely be published this summer.

"Sea Breezes " plan to run a piece about the Bank Line in the Pacific islands, which includes details of the ship losses post war - plus some narrow escapes! The longish article with pics will be split into 2 and appear in the May and June issues, as it stands at the moment.

"Shipping Today and Yesterday" have been sitting on a piece about a long and memorable voyage in the old " Irisbank", and they have scheduled it for publication in July.

Look forward to seeing them,before my time with Bank Line, but will be nice to hear what you were up to then. Apart from my hellish voyage with BTC I was swanning my way around the world with Port Line, not that their Doxfords were free of problems!!

Shipping Today and Yesterday say that the (old) 'Irisbank' article is scheduled for the July issue.

Don't know what others think, but I find the price too expensive, and although contributing articles, I never buy them!

As a lifelong collector still ongoing and with a huge collection of both series bound, I will agree that they have become expensive. Unfortunately, they are today a very niche and narrow market and without the necessary income, would soon disappear. That would be a monumental shame. Please continue to contribute, your articles make for wonderful "nostalgia". Thank you.

Just purchased a copy of ' ships in focus' number 60 which has a very interesting article with many pictures of the latter part of the Bank Line era. Would perhaps be of interest to those who served in the late 80's and 90's. Generally available from eBay sellers.

Just purchased a copy of ' ships in focus' number 60 which has a very interesting article with many pictures of the latter part of the Bank Line era. Would perhaps be of interest to those who served in the late 80's and 90's. Generally available from eBay sellers.

Hi, Alan, haven't heard from you for a while. I'm sure a lot of members would welcome some of your articles on our Tusitala thread. It would also give some exposure to your writings, as it does for Cpt Dick Brooks and others. That is if you feel inclined and have a bit of spare time. There is a big readership as we near 8,000 views of the hundreds of contributions.

All the best, mate,

PS. I'm still strugging to find the time to complete Chapter 95 0f BBA!

Don't all of you send your memoirs to SN yet! I replied yesterday to this message but it must have looked too much like an advert for my new book. As a consequence, I'll be careful not to trip the algorithm that deletes my message except to say that my hard-cover book will be out in September and I urge you all to wait until some of my articles trigger fresh memories! The Bank Line Magazine, oh! how I miss it even the initial roneo-ed copies before it became a slick publication. Unfortunately, all the loose-sheet originals are lost but I still have most of the fancy ones with the 'Olivebank' cover- an inspired piece of journalism!.
Memories...memories!

Don't all of you send your memoirs to SN yet! I replied yesterday to this message but it must have looked too much like an advert for my new book. As a consequence, I'll be careful not to trip the algorithm that deletes my message except to say that my hard-cover book will be out in September and I urge you all to wait until some of my articles trigger fresh memories! The Bank Line Magazine, oh! how I miss it even the initial roneo-ed copies before it became a slick publication. Unfortunately, all the loose-sheet originals are lost but I still have most of the fancy ones with the 'Olivebank' cover- an inspired piece of journalism!.
Memories...memories!

Looking forward to seeing your book, Alistair.

The thread title was intended to be Bank Line - Shipping magazine articles, but no matter. Thinking about the house magazine, it was very noticeable and slightly baffling how the contents morphed from the main subject of the ships, to stamps, to birds, to fish and butterflies etc reflecting the interests of Andrew Weir's grandson who inherited control!

I'm not convinced that the price of the shipping magazines is too high. When you think that a cup of coffee with some fancy name costs a minimum of £2.50, I think £4.10 is not too high a price to pay. Plus the fact that the coffee is gone in an instant (no pun intended) whereas the magazine can be kept as long as required. Just a thought.

I'm not convinced that the price of the shipping magazines is too high. When you think that a cup of coffee with some fancy name costs a minimum of £2.50, I think £4.10 is not too high a price to pay. Plus the fact that the coffee is gone in an instant (no pun intended) whereas the magazine can be kept as long as required. Just a thought.

Yes, its an interesting subject. I think we all mentally lag the rise of inflation, which means we hug the old familiar prices, i.e. £1 for a coffee!

I often wonder if halving the price of a shipping magazine though, say to £2 would double the sales or more? There must be huge buyer resistance, going on my own refusal to fork out £4 plus a copy. (It doesn't help the sales when you can flick through the pages on the shelf! ). I think its called price elasticity from my long gone study of basic economics.

Alan, you may like to know that in my part of the world (probably not known for its maritime community) that the local - as opposed to the ubiquitous national chain - newsagent stocks Ship's Monthly, Shipping Today & Yesterday and used to carry Sea Breezes. Sales of Sea Breezes declined to the point where it wasn't worth their while stocking it. I hope the others don't go the same way. So perhaps your idea of a £2 charge might work to increase circulation.

Shipping magazines are very expensive here in NZ. I used to subscribe to Ships Monthly, but found it just too much for what it represented.
I found that many of the vessels had similar looks and were, for the most part, quite boring. A sign no doubt of the times we live in, especially with the virtual demise of the British MN and the companies that formed it, with their distinctive builds, funnels etc.
As has been said many times, Ah, the memories!

I have penned a few articles which will likely be published this summer.

"Sea Breezes " plan to run a piece about the Bank Line in the Pacific islands, which includes details of the ship losses post war - plus some narrow escapes! The longish article with pics will be split into 2 and appear in the May and June issues, as it stands at the moment.

"Shipping Today and Yesterday" have been sitting on a piece about a long and memorable voyage in the old " Irisbank", and they have scheduled it for publication in July.

That's all we're left with sadly - memories and nostalgia!

Following a prompt from a nautical friend, I have now finished an article about the 1959/60 voyage on the Crestbank. (the 57 built Harlands one). Will submit to Sea Breezes for publication, but the lead time can be 6 months or so. That's it now, as the mental locker is empty re Bank Line voyages - at least the bits fit for the eyes of the wider world!

That trip was only 14 months, and it went relatively smoothly. The Master was Don McCaffrey, on his first command. He ran a relaxed ship which we were all grateful for. The mate was John Appleby, who was later tragically killed in a motoring accident after he had been Master for a while. He hit the headlines after picking up boat people in that period late 70's. I was 2/0, and believe Albert Scales, later Superintendent in London was a first trip apprentice. Doug Buck was C/E.

The Crestbank was the second vessel in an order for 17 vessels starting with the Cloverbank. Weirs also ordered 21 vessels of the ' Firbank class' at the same time from Doxfords. i.e. 38 ships ordered at once! It would have been fun in the boardroom especially to see what sort of tipple they were on! There was no crystal ball though. These ships fortunately had a good lifespan, but the tide of container ships and their consortia owners were well on the way.

Following a prompt from a nautical friend, I have now finished an article about the 1959/60 voyage on the Crestbank. (the 57 built Harlands one). Will submit to Sea Breezes for publication, but the lead time can be 6 months or so. That's it now, as the mental locker is empty re Bank Line voyages - at least the bits fit for the eyes of the wider world!

That trip was only 14 months, and it went relatively smoothly. The Master was Don McCaffrey, on his first command. He ran a relaxed ship which we were all grateful for. The mate was John Appleby, who was later tragically killed in a motoring accident after he had been Master for a while. He hit the headlines after picking up boat people in that period late 70's. I was 2/0, and believe Albert Scales, later Superintendent in London was a first trip apprentice. Doug Buck was C/E.

The Crestbank was the second vessel in an order for 17 vessels starting with the Cloverbank. Weirs also ordered 21 vessels of the ' Firbank class' at the same time from Doxfords. i.e. 38 ships ordered at once! It would have been fun in the boardroom especially to see what sort of tipple they were on! There was no crystal ball though. These ships fortunately had a good lifespan, but the tide of container ships and their consortia owners were well on the way.

This piece is now in print and on the shelves. Another article is in the pipeline and will also appear in Sea Breezes shortly. I have penned it on behalf of Len Burnett, who is not on line. Quite an interesting piece about his entry into the MN and a first trip on the Liberty " Kelvinbank", later wrecked on Ocean Island. Len was a young lad in 1948 who went to the old " Vindicatrix" training vessel before being sent by the 'pool' to the Bank Line as a junior seaman. Like most of us at that age, Len didn't know his a... from his elbow, and was bowled over by the rough and tumble aboard a Liverpool crewed vessel on a long voyage. The anecdotes are all Len's, and I hope I have done it justice.

Alan, you may like to know that in my part of the world (probably not known for its maritime community) that the local - as opposed to the ubiquitous national chain - newsagent stocks Ship's Monthly, Shipping Today & Yesterday and used to carry Sea Breezes. Sales of Sea Breezes declined to the point where it wasn't worth their while stocking it. I hope the others don't go the same way. So perhaps your idea of a £2 charge might work to increase circulation.

Mike

Further to my #14 post it is now impossible for me to buy any of the shipping magazines locally as the one and only local vendor has retired and his shop is now a charity concern. So we're left with a small branch of a well known national chain that will not stock said magazines in a small branch! so it's either a subscription or waiting until I go elsewhere. The continuing decline of the high street.

Further to my #14 post it is now impossible for me to buy any of the shipping magazines locally as the one and only local vendor has retired and his shop is now a charity concern. So we're left with a small branch of a well known national chain that will not stock said magazines in a small branch! so it's either a subscription or waiting until I go elsewhere. The continuing decline of the high street.

Hi Mike

Where are you exactly? Was pondering your post - maybe eBay is the answer, but there would be a bit of a lag to get hold of current issues. I don't buy them myself on a regular basis, but a few copies still show up in Truro, deep in Cornwall!

Where are you exactly? Was pondering your post - maybe eBay is the answer, but there would be a bit of a lag to get hold of current issues. I don't buy them myself on a regular basis, but a few copies still show up in Truro, deep in Cornwall!

Hello Alan,

Deepest Wiltshire and even the ubiquitous Navy News is in short supply here!

I can get most of the magazines in Swindon and occasionally Bath. I used to get Shipping Today & Yesterday on subscription but I don't want all the articles. Like most folk I'm mainly interested in the MN and Bank Line in particular and Ben Line where I served my time.

All the shipping mags do an online version but I like to hold the real thing while I'm reading. It's why I would never get something like Kindle!

Deepest Wiltshire and even the ubiquitous Navy News is in short supply here!

I can get most of the magazines in Swindon and occasionally Bath. I used to get Shipping Today & Yesterday on subscription but I don't want all the articles. Like most folk I'm mainly interested in the MN and Bank Line in particular and Ben Line where I served my time.

All the shipping mags do an online version but I like to hold the real thing while I'm reading. It's why I would never get something like Kindle!

Cheers

Agree - not a patch on the real thing but useful on occasions. On the subject of shipping mags, I have been buying ' Ships in Focus' on ebay, usually about 5/6 pounds each. The quality is second to none, and Bankline is covered in the numbers 17, 18, and engines in edition 19. The photos are always top class.

Agree - not a patch on the real thing but useful on occasions. On the subject of shipping mags, I have been buying ' Ships in Focus' on ebay, usually about 5/6 pounds each. The quality is second to none, and Bankline is covered in the numbers 17, 18, and engines in edition 19. The photos are always top class.

I agree with you regarding 'Ships in Focus', the photo quality is good. I also have Nos 17 and 18.

Plus I have two articles from 'Ships Monthly', one dated June 2009 (Bank Line in Profile: A Fine British Tradition) and one dated May 2015 (Bank Line Contrasts by Malcolm Cranfield). If you haven't got them already I'm sure they'll have back issues.

I agree with you regarding 'Ships in Focus', the photo quality is good. I also have Nos 17 and 18.

Plus I have two articles from 'Ships Monthly', one dated June 2009 (Bank Line in Profile: A Fine British Tradition) and one dated May 2015 (Bank Line Contrasts by Malcolm Cranfield). If you haven't got them already I'm sure they'll have back issues.

An article about the Liberty ship " Kelvinbank" and the first trip in her by a Mr Len Burnett will appear in Sea Breezes Jan issue. (Out mid December). I have penned it on behalf of Len who has many vivid memories, but who is not on the computer. He signed on as " Peggy". (doing all the menial chores) back in 1948, and had a riotous introduction to the Merchant Navy which has stayed with him. The ship was lost at Ocean Island later in 1953 as has been described in other threads.

Len is a colourful character. 87 years old, who, after seagoing had a variety of jobs, including being a Liverpool docker. He has a passion for opera and can be heard on vintage radio.com on a Saturday, playing his favourite arias. During his docker days, he did time in prison for stealing.

Last edited by Alan Rawlinson; 30th November 2018 at 12:23..
Reason: more info